News, 3/3/2015 | Embassy of Finland, Washington

Company Profile: KONE Builds Eco-Efficient Elevators and Escalators in the U.S.

KONE is one of the global leaders in the elevator and escalator industry. It provides industry-leading elevators, escalators and automatic building doors as well as innovative solutions for modernization and maintenance. The company was founded in Helsinki in 1910, and nowadays it employs over 43.000 people in 50 countries around the world.

The company’s North American Headquarters are located in Lisle, Illinois. One can find KONE’s innovative and eco-efficient solutions across the states.

KONE has for example installed 107 heavy-duty escalators in the New York City Subway and replaced existing escalators at the San Diego International Airport and the Albuquerque International Sunport. In addition, KONE elevators enable a smooth flow of people in cities ranging from Nashville to Chicago.

One of KONE's latest projects is in the nation’s capital. The company is working with the Washington Metro Area Transit Authority (WMATA) to help modernize escalators across several Washington, D.C. area metro stops. The project began in 2014, and as of late February 2015, approximately 10% of the work has been completed. So far, KONE has replaced 13 escalators, and another seven units are underway.

One KONE escalator currently in progress at the Bethesda, Maryland metro stop is the second-tallest escalator in the Western hemisphere.

The full scope of the project with WMATA is expected to be complete in early 2020. KONE is very proud of its partnership with WMATA and looks forward to serving the Washington, D.C. metro area for years to come.

Truly Green Company

In 2014 Newsweek magazine ranked KONE the 12th greenest company in the world. KONE was the highest ranking Finnish company and came ahead of other industrial sector companies such as Volvo (37) and Siemens (56).

KONE’s overall score was based on transparent and third-party verified reporting of indicators such as energy consumption, greenhouse gases, waste management and executive pay. Reputation management was also independently assessed.

Buildings account for 40% of the world’s energy consumption, and elevators and escalators account for 2–10% of a building’s energy consumption. By selecting the right type of elevator, escalator or automatic building door there is a huge potential for energy savings. KONE is dedicated to provide as eco-efficient solutions as possible and has set itself very ambitious energy reduction targets. The company’s portfolio proves that there is high demand for Finnish cleantech expertise in the U.S. and around the world.